


Ten Steps Behind

by TwilightForestry



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Assault, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-09 03:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20486096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightForestry/pseuds/TwilightForestry
Summary: TW: Assault & physical injury





	Ten Steps Behind

It was the same every day.

In the morning when her Young Master walked to school, she followed behind, ten paces between them. When he walked home at the end of the day, she remained ten steps behind him. Close enough that she could defend him from potential harm, but far enough that no one would assume they knew each other.

Due to a lifetime of training, Peko was extremely aware of her surroundings at all times. It made sense, considering how alert one would have to be when acting as a guardian. Every so often, however, her poor sleeping habits would catch up with her, turning her drowsy and throwing off her instincts. It was never an issue though, Peko knew how to fight through her exhaustion. Unfortunately, on this particular day, it proved to be more of an issue than usual.

It was the day of their final exams, and the Ultimate swordswoman had spent nearly a weeks' worth of sleepless nights training for the examination. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Peko must've known she didn't need to practice, but it was simply in her nature to use every possible moment to improve her skills. Her diligent work and lack of sleep had drained her of all her energy. She was doing everything she could to keep her alert composure, but she was so overtired that she could hardly keep her eyes open.

The final exam had been extremely challenging, Peko had found herself drifting asleep while standing up. She was able to perform well in her examination though. Now, on their walk back home, she had to focus all her remaining energy on staying exactly ten paces behind her Young Master. She was so oblivious to her surroundings that she didn't take any notice when a man she didn't know fell into step next to her. She wasn't aware of his presence until he nudged her shoulder with his, rather aggressively if she was being honest. She narrowed her eyes and stared at the man without turning her head.

"Can you hear me, sweetheart? What's your name?" the man nudged her again. 

Initially, Peko wasn't sure if she was hallucinating the interaction due to tiredness. She pulled her shoulder forward and continued walking, eyes locked forward. Suddenly, the man grabbed her shoulder and threw her against the wall that lined the sidewalk. Her head smacked against the brick with a painful thud, knocking her glasses to the pavement. The man grasped her shoulders, pinning her against the wall.

"Are you fucking deaf? I'm talking to you, bitch."

Keeping her features unbothered, Peko reached for her sword, which was wedged uncomfortably between her back and the wall. Her reflexes were still sluggish though, and the man caught her arm above her head. He twisted her wrist backwards, and she fought to keep herself from screaming as she felt her hand dislocate. She gritted her teeth and attempted to fight back, but the man had more body strength than her, and was able to keep her restrained. He used his free hand to brush her bangs out of her face.

"C'mon, don't be shy, sweetheart."

Peko glared at him, fury and pain shooting daggers out of her eyes. She continued to struggle, but only managed to irritate the stranger more. The man bent her wrist further, and she felt the bone snap. She screamed in shock, unable to conceal the pain. The man leered at her, somehow finding pleasure in injuring the girl. Peko's neck went limp, and she squeezed her eyes shut to keep tears from running down her face. The man pushed his hand under her chin and held her head up, forcing her to look at him. He smiled a vicious grin, and leaned in towards her.

Suddenly, the man released his restraint and Peko fell to the ground. She fumbled for her glasses and slid them back onto her nose, injured wrist held tightly against her chest. She looked up in time to see her Young Master punch the man square in the face. She struggled to get on her feet and assist him, but her knees gave out under her as soon as she stood. She could only watch as her Young Master slammed the man against the wall, just like what had happened to her just moments before. He wrapped his hands around the man's neck, causing his face to turn a deep red. Her Young Master's grip tightened as he snarled at the man.

"Look, bastard, I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you, but you'd better get the hell away from her before I put you in the fucking ground."

The man tore Fuyuhiko's hands off his throat, but didn't fight back. He brought his hand to his face, trying to contain the waterfall of blood coming from his nose.

"You fucking bastard!" The man screamed, words muffled by his injuries.

"Yeah, yeah," Fuyuhiko retaliated. "Get the fuck out of here before I blind you."

The man scowled at him, breathing heavily. Without another word, he shuffled away from the two of them, leaving only a splatter of blood on the sidewalk. Fuyuhiko shook his head as the man retreated, then turned his attention to Peko, who was still in visible pain. She had managed to get herself on her feet, grasping the wall with her good hand to keep herself upright. Her injured arm stayed pressed into her body. She spoke to him without looking up.

"Forgive me, Young Master. I should not have allowed that to happen. I will ensure nothing of the sort happens again."

Fuyuhiko rolled his eyes and took her hand in his, examining her broken wrist. Peko felt her face go red.

"Knock it off, Peko," he said, serious but gentle. "That wasn't your fault. I mean, anyone with working eyes can see how cute you are, but that guy was being a fucking jackass."

Peko stared at him, face hot, unsure if he she had heard him correctly. He looked up from her hand, saw her flustered complexion, and realized to his horror that he had been thinking out loud. He covered his face with his free hand, blushing furiously.

"I mean- I didn't- You- Ah, shit.." he stammered, his face turning a deep shade of pink. Despite the lingering pain in her wrist, Peko had to bite her lip to keep herself from smiling. He was still holding her hand.

"A-anyways," he continued, running his hand through his hair. "We gotta get you fixed up. C'mon."

Carefully, he took her good arm off the wall and put it around his shoulders, using his body to support hers. He looped his arm closest to her around her waist and hesitantly rested his hand on her side to keep her from falling. Peko was mortified, but she was aware that she couldn't walk on her own. She kept her injured hand tight against her chest as he helped her walk home.

Fortunately, they weren't too far from their home when she was attacked, so it didn't take long for the two of them to get to safety. Fuyuhiko walked her to the dojo, but had to leave before anyone saw them. God knows what would happen to Peko if they saw her leaning up against her Young Master. She told her Sensei she had been the recipient of a misplaced hit while sparring, and he believed her. Her bone was set and she had a cast on her arm in a matter of minutes. Her Masters were not pleased, as this meant she would be unable to perform her tasks as a tool for at least a few weeks. They did not order her to stop serving her Young Master, which came as a hidden relief to both of them.

That evening, Peko ran into her Young Master on her way to the servants' quarters. He saw her bandaged arm and his eyes turned sad.

"Shit, Peko, I'm sorry. If I had been paying more attention I coulda got that bastard off you before he hurt you." He sounded distressed, guilty. She had never seen him quite like this before.

"There is nothing to apologize for, Young Master. I should have been able to defend myself. It is no one's fault but mine. Regardless..." she paused, unsure of the right words to use. "Regardless, I am thankful for your assistance earlier today. There is no telling what would have happened if you had not stopped that man. Thank you, Young Master."

"C'mon, it's not like I was just gonna let him get away with that shit." He half-smiled, though his voice was still filled with worry. "I know it's your job or whatever to protect me, but I gotta look after you too, y'know?"

Peko was silent. The concern in his voice was so unlike him, it was a completely different side of the boy she'd known her whole life. He cared about her enough to risk his safety to protect her, even though they both knew his family would surely be furious to know the truth. She felt her face get warm, and allowed herself to give him the smallest of smiles. Her eyelids felt heavy, her body was coming off the high of adrenaline. Fuyuhiko looked quite tired as well.

"Goodnight, Young Master." She smiled again, and continued on her way to bed. She reached for the doorknob, but paused when she heard her Young Master call her name.

"Hey, Peko?"

She turned to the sound of his voice. He looked rather nervous, his hand resting on the back of his neck.

"I'd like it if-" He began. "I mean, I'd feel better if you walked a few steps closer to me from now on. I just- I don't want you to get hurt again."

She gazed at him, eyes filled with curiosity. She didn't know why he was suddenly so nervous around her, but she wondered if it had anything to do with what he said earlier...

"Of course, Young Master." She smiled, slightly wider than before. His shoulders loosened in relief.

"Thanks, Peko." He turned to leave, but paused mid-step and faced her again. "I'm probably not supposed to say this, but..." He breathed in deeply. "But you mean a hell of a lot to me." He smiled that half-grin of his, the one she had grown to know so well throughout their lives. She didn't see it as often now as she had when they were younger, and the sight always sparked something in her heart. She smiled back, and he felt the same spark light in his heart.

"Goodnight, Peko."  
"Goodnight, Young Master."


End file.
